Press Room

Metropolitan Ballroom is delighted to welcome the extremely talented couple of Jake Davies and Alyona Kalinina to its stellar team of premier dance instructors! This amazing couple will be teaching, coaching and competing with Pro-Am students at every level. They will join us in showcases, competitions and many other student events to contribute their special magic to our already unique and exciting world.
Please extend a warm welcome to Jake and Alyona!!

JAKE DAVIES

originally hails from South Africa and has built upon his early training and experience in London, England, competing and winning an impressive number of prestigious competitions. During this time he also appeared in two seasons of the hit television series “Dancing with the Stars” and “The Voice” in Turkey, as well as appearing on “Diet on the Dancefloor” in the UK. Jake holds his professional Licentiate Qualifications in Ballroom and Latin American with the IDTA.

ALYONA KALININA

is a professional dancer, dance teacher, actress and model. A native of Ukraine, she completed her formal dance education and training at the renowned National Academy of Dance in Kiev, while also running her own successful dance studio. Alyona also appeared in the hit television series “Dancing with the Stars” and “The Voice” in Istanbul, Turkey.

This talented couple continues to compete internationally, most notably winning or placing with these stellar results

World Latin American Showdance Grand Finalists
British National Latin American Showdance Champions
4th at British National Latin American Championships
26th at the 2015 Blackpool Dancesport Championships
Top 12 Professional Rising Stars at the 2016 International Championships
Plus winning or finishing in the top 3 in almost two dozen Rising Star Latin Championships in as many US NDCA Competitions!

Charity Bailey from FOX46 “Good Day Carolinas” learn how to Ballroom Dancing!

Charity Bailey from FOX46 “Good Day Carolinas” learn how to Ballroom Dancing! PART 2

Jacomo Rafael Bairos, conducting
Metropolitan Ballroom Dancers
The Waltz,Rumba, Samba, Tango and more will be showcased in this high-energy concert featuring dancers from Metropolitan Ballroom.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte Symphony musicians will have a unique challenge when they take the stage Friday night January 25th,2013–making sure they don’t hurt the dancers on stage with them.

Russian Dancer Learns The Meaning Of ‘Fun’

Standing front stage at the Knight Theater, Tatiana Kasakova counts off for the other dancers.
She choreographed all of the dances for tonight’s show, Ballroom. The concert features members of Metropolitan Ballroom in Charlotte dancing alongside the Charlotte Symphony.

“I think it’s just never been done in Charlotte,” says Kazakova. “So most of the time when people imagine classical music they think of ballet. And it’s true, but ballroom dancing was developed from classical dances. It just kind of went a little bit beyond, and I think Charlotte needs a little shake, and passion.”
Throughout the night there will be one to four couples on stage. They will dance a Waltz to Strauss, Samba to Bach and a swing to Sing, Sing, Sing.

Tatiana started ballroom dancing like many Russian children – by force.
“I am from Russia and in Russia it’s not that the kids decide what they want to be, it is the parents that decide,” Kazakova says. “So if your mom wants you to be a violin player you’re going to be, no matter what you want. My mom liked ballroom dancing so they brought me to the studio when I was six and basically you have no choice. Thank god I liked it.”

“It’s really serious,” she says. “We don’t have a word ‘fun’ translated in Russian. It’s like no fun. Really, I was trying to figure out what fun, the same word we don’t have in Russian. You dance, you dance serious and you work as hard as you can every single practice.”

Tatiana was one of those serious dancers. She won several national championships in Ukraine.
Seven years ago she moved to the States. Now she’s a part-owner and instructor at Metropolitan Ballroom in Charlotte.
“It’s very fun, really good,” says Kazakova, “I started to like the word fun, to have some fun in my life, not only work.”

Who were the winners at Dancing for a Cause, the annual YMCA Ballroom Battle? The 10 community leaders who donned their spangles, satin and dance shoes for a sold-out audience Nov. 3 at the Westin to raise money for YMCA. On top of their already busy schedules, they put in numerous practice hours with professional dancers from Metropolitan Ballroom for the black tie event.

Ultimately, community volunteer Sherrard Georgious and her stunning moves won the best female dancer, and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Rodney Monroe was named best male dancer. Also making an impression on the dance floor were Carolinas HealthCare System CEO Michael Tarwater, Charlotte Chamber of Commerce President Bob Morgan; former Pepsi-Cola Bottling Co. CEO Dale Halton; PNC Bank’s Bobby Chesney; Bridget Anne Hampden of the U.S. Department of Education; WBTV sports anchor Delano Little; Northeastern University CEO Cheryl Richards; and philanthropist Susan Sherrill.

WBTV’s Molly Grantham and Paul Cameron made an encore as emcees at the second annual event. And the 2011 Ballroom Battle winner, Natalie English, performed a group dance along with other celebrity dancers from last year.

Men in Uniform | Southpark Magazine

Check out a recent article in Southpark Magazine by Corinna Kahn featuring Men in Uniform who all happen to dance at Metropolitan Ballroom. Clement Joly is our premier Latin dance instructor and co-owner. James Howell participated in the YMCA Ballroom Battle. Alejandro Munevar is often spotted at the studio when Passion for Tango holds their monthly Milongas at the studio. Enjoy this article from the SouthPark magazine and the handsome men in it.

Twelve prominent community leaders were chosen by the Y to compete in a ballroom dance competition modeled after the popular TV series, “Dancing with the Stars.” Each star has been paired with our talented instructors. They must perfect their routine and perform live on November 12, 2011 at an elegant black tie reception. All proceeds will benefit the Community Support Campaign of the Center City YMCAs.

By: Natalie Dick
I can’t remember the last time I had so much fun watching grown people dance as I did last Friday night. I must admit, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect when my husband and I were invited to attend the YMCA’s inaugural charity event “Dancing for a Cause.”

Charlotte Chamber, Dancing for a Cause, YMCA Greater Charlotte, Natalie English, Charlotte, non-profit
Natalie English, the chamber’s senior
vice president of public policy,
takes the crown in the YMCA
of Greater Charlotte’s
“Dancing for a Cause.”

Pat Rodgers, 2011 chamber chair,
also made a good showing
on the dance floor.

Held at the Ritz Carlton Uptown, the black tie affair pitted 12 movers and shakers from Charlotte’s business community against each other on the dance floor. My initial skepticism was if the contestants would all look like the television version of “Dancing with the Stars,” decked out in skimpy costumes and most young enough to be my kids.

Instead, I was pleasantly surprised to see a diverse mix of folks who included:

Each contestant was paired with a professional partner from the Metropolitan Ballroom of Charlotte. They spent several weeks learning and then refining their routines before competing for the grand prize in front of the sell out crowd.

From the samba to the waltz to the tango, there was a little bit of something for everyone – and all in good taste. I heard more than one person (including myself) say they couldn’t imagine performing in front of hundreds of people – many who were colleagues. That’s all the more reason I was blown away by their willingness to take part. All of the money raised from the event is going to fund children/teen programs for Center City Ys.

At the end of the evening, it was the chamber’s Natalie English who was presented the top prize. Anyone that knows her knows she has a fierce competitive streak. What most of us didn’t realize was that she could boogie so darn good!

It was an evening that brings a smile to my face every time I reflect upon it. With all we have to deal with as grown ups in the world today, it was refreshing to let loose.. even if it was for just a few hours on a Saturday night.

Local leaders will be dancing for a cause Nov. 12

Robyn Hamilton, director of business relations for the convention host committee, is among a dozen community leaders dancing for charity in the “YMCA Ballroom Battle” on Nov. 12.

Modeled after “Dancing with the Stars,” the local event raises money for community-support campaigns at four Y’s in and near uptown. They’ll strut their stuff at the black-tie event being held at the Ritz Carlton Hotel. Other dancers are Capt. Mark Basnight, public information officer with the Charlotte Fire Department; Pamela Davies, president of Queens University of Charlotte; Steele Dewey, chairman, Aston Properties; Natalie English, senior vice president of public policy, Charlotte Chamber; Chuck Hood, president & owner, Hood Hargett; Dr. James Howell, senior pastor, Myers Park United Methodist Church; Michael Marsicano, president, Foundation of the Carolinas; Jim Noble, restaurateur; Maureen O’Boyle, WBTV News 3; Kevin Pitts, publisher, Charlotte Business Journal, and Pat Rodgers, president, Rodgers Builders.

Tickets are $125 each, $1,250 for a table of ten. For info: contact Y member services at 704-716-6100.

– Celeste Smith

Metropolitan Ballroom Brings Latin Excitement to October in Charlotte, NC

The Metropolitan Ballroom, which strongly supports cultural events in Charlotte, is pleased to be an integral part of this year’s Latin American Festival, as well as promote a world-famous guitarist’s upcoming show.
Charlotte, NC (Vocus) October 6, 2010

The Metropolitan Ballroom, which strongly supports cultural events in Charlotte, is pleased to be an integral part of this year’s Latin American Festival, as well as promote a world-famous guitarist’s upcoming show.

Owners Jim Manly, Monette Manly, and Clement Joly are passionate about bringing top notch cultural entertainment to the city of Charlotte. “These two exciting events in October are great examples of that commitment,” proclaims Manly. Additionally, the Metropolitan Ballroom’s staff is quite multicultural itself, as are many of their students. Besides the many international dances taught daily, foreign languages likely to be heard at the studio on any given day include French, Spanish, Ukrainian, Russian, and German.

In cooperation with the North Carolina Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, Metropolitan Ballroom’s professional dance staff has been chosen to perform the finale presentation at the 20th anniversary Latin American Festival. Clement Joly, Tatiana Kazakova, Sergiy Samchynskyy, Yuliya Besarab, Nickolai Keanov, and Barbie Peker will perform expertly choreographed rumbas, sambas, salsas, paso dobles and cha-chas. This presentation will showcase the flamenco music of Roni Benise, who is coming to the Blumenthal Center in Charlotte as part of his national tour. Their performances will provide breathtaking excitement to end the festival.

The event takes place on Sunday, October 10 at Symphony Park (South Park Mall) from 12 p.m. until 7 p.m. The performances will take place at the Carnival stage of the festival. The festival features authentic cuisine, music, and an artisan marketplace in addition to the performances by the Metropolitan Ballroom dancers. Tickets to the Latin American Festival are $5 for adults ($3 for children) and can be purchased at the festival.

Additionally, the Metropolitan Ballroom is proud to be involved in showcasing and promoting the versatile guitar styling of Roni Benise, who is coming to Charlotte as part of his national tour. Playing a style described as “nouveau Spanish flamenco,” Benise won an Emmy award for his 2007 production “Nights of Fire!” His current tour reunites the cast of that award-winning production, and it combines music, passion and dance into one unforgettable performance.

Benise will be performing at the Knight Theater in Charlotte on October 31 at 7 p.m., and tickets are available from $39.50 at http://www.blumenthalcenter.org/.

About The Metropolitan Ballroom

The Metropolitan Ballroom located in Charlotte, North Carolina, features over 3,000 square feet of gleaming ballroom floor, a contemporary bar and lounge, a state of the art sound system and a private dance studio. A staff of professional instructors teaches international and American-style ballroom dances, including cha-cha, jive, tango, waltz, shag, and salsa. With private lessons for singles or couples, group classes, dance parties, and special occasion lessons, the Metropolitan Ballroom offers something for everyone.